Yes, I know the official Turkey Day has come and gone, but I'm talking about being a Turkey when someone gives you an introduction or referral. I know you work hard to earn the trust and confidence from clients and others to get introductions. Make sure you don't make these mistakes after you get them.
Here is Bill Cates the Referral Coach with some great advice on three mistakes you can't afford to make.
"What's a referral turkey?" you may be asking. To me, it's someone who breaks some of the cardinal rules of referral.
About three months ago, a colleague recommended I hire a business coach who he had found extremely helpful. He connected us via LinkedIn (an electronic handshake). Since I'm always trying to get better at what I do, I thought I'd see what this guy had to offer.
Mike (the coach/consultant) and I had an initial phone conversation on which he offered a complimentary coaching session. If I liked how it went, I could sign up for his program. I thought this was a nice way to get started. He then told me he had to do a little figuring of his schedule for the coming weeks and would call me back in a few days. I never heard from him again.
So what mistakes did this guy make that qualifies him as a Referral Turkey?
1. He dropped the ball and, therefore, didn't create a favorable impression in my eyes. (HINT: Treat your referral prospects like royalty. Even if no business is conducted, you want your referral source to hear good things about you.)
2. He didn't keep the referral source in the loop. My colleague never heard the status of the introduction he made. (HINT: Always keep your source apprised of your progress. They want to know that you are following the referral to its logical conclusion.)
3. He didn't thank his referral source. (HINT: Always say, "thank you" for referrals. A small gift is nice. A handwritten note of thanks is minimum.)
How you receive the referrals you get from clients and centers of influence determines whether those people will give you more referrals.
